Non-kinase targeting of oncogenic c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling: the future of clinically viable cancer treatments.

ABSTRACT: c-Jun N-terminal Kinases (JNKs) have been identified as key disease drivers in a number of pathophysiological settings and central oncogenic signaling nodes in various cancers. Their roles in driving primary tumor growth, positively regulating cancer stem cell populations, promoting invasion and facilitating metastatic outgrowth have led JNKs to be considered attractive targets for anti-cancer therapies. However, the homeostatic, apoptotic and tumor-suppressive activities of JNK proteins limit the use of direct JNK inhibitors in a clinical setting. In this review, we will provide an overview of the different JNK targeting strategies developed to date, which include various ATP-competitive, non-kinase and substrate-competitive inhibitors. We aim to summarize their distinct mechanisms of act

SUBMITTER: Latham SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9788565 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature